


It Would Be My Pleasure to Fall in Love With You

by poindexters



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bitty's a morning person AU, Fluff, M/M, Miscommunication, Soulmarks, and its pretty cute, shitty and jack spoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 20:37:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7860256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poindexters/pseuds/poindexters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bitty introduces himself to the team, Jack knows instantly that this is the man he's going to spend the rest of his life with. The soulmark that appears on his arm could tell him that much. But when Jack tries to introduce himself to Bitty, he's whisked away on important business. That night, Jack finds himself in the unique position of getting to choose his soulmate's permanent soulmark more carefully.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Would Be My Pleasure to Fall in Love With You

From the moment they met, Jack knew this was the man with which he would spend the rest of his life. 

“I hope y'all like pecan pie,” Eric Bittle said. He was small, blond, and southern, with a smile that could brighten a room and a pie that smelled like heaven held gently in his hands. Ransom and Holster were on him in seconds.

“Holy shit, did you make this? It’s spectacular!” said Holster, pieces of pecan flying from his mouth. He hadn’t bothered to grab a plate, or a fork, or  _anything_  resembling kitchen ware for that matter. 

“Uhh, yes?” Eric looked scandalized. Ransom and Shitty had joined in, grabbing bits of pie and cramming it in their mouths with a voracity that challenged wild hyenas. 

Jack was perched on the edge of the dining hall table, watching the chaos unfold. This wasn’t how he thought it would happen. After a moment, he rolled up his sleeve, tracing his fingers over the soul mark that occupied the inside of his arm _. ‘I hope y'all like pecan pie’_ waswritten in large loopy letters. From where Jack sat, he could see the rest of the boys converging on Bittle’s pie. He smiled at the horrified look on Eric’s face.  _He would be easy to love_ , Jack thought. 

Jack was steeling himself to say something to the little southern hockey player, when Coach Hall placed a hand on his shoulder and motioned him away. 

“I’ve got some new ideas for this season that I’d like you to look over, maybe mention to the team before our next skate,” Hall said, dragging Jack in the direction of the door. 

“Uhh, okay. Sure Coach,” Jack said. He wanted to stay. He wanted to introduce himself to Eric, see his full-moon eyes widen even further when he put it all together. But instead he settled for one last look over his shoulder before he was ushered out of sight.

***

That night, Jack lay awake in bed going over the details of the day. He just couldn’t stop thinking about Bittle, or the way his hair curled at the ends, or the way his eyelashes appeared too long to be real. Every time he closed his eyes, there he was. In most of the visions, he was holding a pie.  _How did someone so small become a hockey player?_  Jack thought.  _And what did I do to deserve someone so beautiful?_  

It was then that his bedroom door flew open. 

“Jack attack! Nice to see you’re up. Mind if I just-” Shitty stripped down to his boxers, and nudged into bed next to Jack. It was late, and he was tired, and Jack would never admit it but he’d missed this over the break. Just being with Shitty was exhausting, but he loved him anyway, and a single night of indulgent spooning with his best friend wasn’t going to kill him. 

“What’s up Shits?” Jack said. 

“Not much,” Shitty said into Jack’s neck. “There just aren’t that many princesses- or princes- in need of a Knight nowadays." 

"Clever." 

"Thanks. What’s new with you?" 

Jack lay there for a moment before rolling up his sleeve and holding his arm up for Shitty to see. There was just enough moonlight to make out the cursive writing.

"Holy fuck on a biscuit,” Shitty said. 

“I know." 

"That little blond kid with the pie? What did you say to him?" 

"Nothing yet,” Jack sighed. It had been less than a day, but the suspense was already eating away at him. He wanted Bittle to know. Shitty was silent for a moment. 

“Jack, you son of a bitch, you’ve got the opportunity of a lifetime here!" 

"I do?” As the night wore on, Jack found it harder and harder to stop his eyes from drifting shut.

“Fuck yeah you do! You know Bitty’s your soulmate, and the first thing you say to him will appear somewhere on his body, so why not make it special? You get the luxury of thinking about it, most people don’t. Take me for example.” Shitty tapped on his collar bone, and even though Jack was facing the opposite direction, he knew the words that were written there. 

('FUCKING SHIT FUCK, WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!’ scrawled in Lardo’s messy handwriting.)

Jack didn’t even attempt to contain his laughter. 

“Well, what do you think I should say?” Jack said once he caught his breath and calmed down long enough to get the words out. 

“I don’t know man, some romantic crap." 

"Shits-" 

"Don’t worry about it too much, just try your best to avoid him until you come up with something.” But things like that were easier said than done, as Jack found out the following day. 

***

The dining hall was empty when Jack peeked his head in the next morning. As team captain, he always made a point of joining the boys for breakfast, but the risk of running into Bittle was just too high. Shitty made a good point last night. Jack was never very good with words, but he wanted Bitty’s soulmark to mean something, and a decision like that couldn’t be made overnight.

As Jack sat down to eat, Shitty appeared beside him with a plate of his own. 

“Jesus, Shits…” Jack said, “where the fuck did you come from? I didn’t even see you come in?" 

"I’ve got the stealth of a leopard, but that’s not important. We need to make a game plan for avoiding Bitty.”

“What? No, Shits, it’s fine. I only need a couple of days, I’ll just stay out of sight until then.”

“Oh sweet Jacques, you really haven’t thought this through, have you? How are you going to make it through practice tomorrow if you can’t talk to one of your teammates? Even if he isn’t on the ice with you, he’s gonna be there for your pre-practice pep talk. Then what?" 

"I don’t know Shitty, can I just finish my breakfast?”

“Whatever you want Jack, but you better eat fast 'cause he’s coming our way." 

Sure enough, Bittle was walking over to their table holding a tray of food and wearing a smile that could outshine the sun.  _Does no one value sleep around here?_  Jack thought.  _It’s six AM._

"Hi y'all! Beautiful morning isn’t it?” Bitty said as he took the seat across from Jack. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Eric.” Bitty stuck out his hand. Jack stared at it in wide-eyed horror. 

“Oh, um. This is our captain, Jack. He doesn’t talk much due to his… enlarged gallbladder." 

Jack turned his death glare on Shitty, stomping on his foot under the table.  _Gallbladder! Really?!_

Shitty reacted appropriately, lifting his shoulders and subtly gesturing to Bitty.  _I’m improvising, give me a break!_

Jack averted his eyes, preferring to stare at his half eaten breakfast than at the confused expression taking over Bitty’s face. 

"Oh, um, I didn’t know the gallbladder had any effect on the vocal chords,” Bitty laughed tentatively. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty serious actually. Might be out of commission for a few weeks.” Jack face-palmed. “A few days,” Shitty corrected. 

This whole soulmate business was more than Jack had planned for. Picking up his tray, he left the table. 

***

“I don’t think Jack likes me very much,” Bitty said. He and Shitty were walking across Lake Quad in the direction of the Haus. 

“What makes you say that?” Shitty asked. 

“Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think Jack’s lying about the whole gallbladder thing,” Bitty sighed. “I overheard him talking to Johnson after breakfast, and he sounded just peachy. And I may not be a biology major, but… it just doesn’t make any sense." 

"Don’t take it to heart, Bits. Jack’s a complicated guy. I think it’ll make sense when the time comes.”

“I hope you’re right,” Bitty flashed the beginning of a smile. 

“Trust me,” Shitty said. “Oh, and practice was changed to 8:30, so you can sleep in an extra half-hour tomorrow." 

"Thanks for letting me know!" Bitty said.

*** 

The next morning at practice, Bitty was nowhere to be seen. Jack made it through his pre-scrimmage pep talk and half his ice time before he showed up, hockey bag slung over his shoulder and a look of hurt and confusion on his face. Although Jack was too far away to hear, he could tell by Coach Murray’s expression that he was saying a few choice words. Bitty’s head dropped. He looked at the ice one more time before walking back into the change room. Jack stared after him for a moment before skating over the Shitty. 

"I know it’s our second practice, but Bittle doesn’t seem the type to be half an hour late,” Jack said. 

“Maybe he slept in…" 

"Shitty-" 

"Don’t give me those puppy-dog eyes Zimmermann, you know I can’t resist you." 

Jack was silent.

"Alright, I gave him the wrong time. I was just trying to help,” Shitty said. Jack sighed before skating towards the stands. 

***

When Jack entered the change room, Bitty was sitting on the bench with his head in his hands. He looked up at the sound of the door. 

“If you’re here to tell me off, you can save it,” Bitty’s voice was soft, like he’d given up. “Shitty said…” he trailed off. “I don’t know why I thought this school would be any different. Gallbladder enlargement? You could’ve at least come up with something more believable.”

Jack could see that he had been crying, and he wanted nothing more than to put an arm around him, or tell him that he was sorry. Instead, he took a seat on the bench beside Bitty, and rolled up his sleeve. 

Bitty’s eyes widened, and Jack allowed himself a soft smile. 

“Ce serait mon plaisir de tomber amoureux de toi,” Jack’s voice was steady and low. There were fresh tears in Bitty’s eyes, but he was smiling now. He rolled up his sleeve to see the words Jack had just spoken appear on his skin. Jack turned his face towards Bitty, reaching a hand up to cup his cheek. He tilted his head, and Bitty nodded in agreement.

When their lips touched it was like the fourth of July. It was the feeling of scoring his first goal, riding on his father’s shoulders when he was a kid and drinking hot chocolate on those cold Montreal mornings when the world was quiet and he was free. It was sunrise and sunset and holding on to something he never wanted to forget. When they broke apart, Bitty wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck, nuzzling his face into his shoulder.

“I’m google translating that when we get back to the Haus,” Bitty said. Jack laughed. He would be easy to love indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> The French translates to "It would be my pleasure to fall in love with you." (Thus the title n_n)


End file.
